DSL100HR. Is it just me?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Chris6870
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Chris6870

Chris6870

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This amp sounds like shit. Every review online raves about How great this amp is. There's even one guy on YouTube who says he likes it better than his Friedman's and Bogner's. On the Marshall forum they are going on about how this is the greatest modern Marshall even better than the JVM I commented that I found it thin and had a mushy bottom end and I got roasted , called a noob and basically told I don't know what I'm doing. I'm far from a noob I bought my first J CM 800 brand new in 1987 I've had Many nice amps, including old Marshalls and know how to dial them in. Side by side through the same cabs my splawn quick rod destroys this DSL and it's not even close maybe there's something wrong with the particular one I have but the overdrive or distortion has no body. The bass totally flubs out with any type of low notes or Palm mutes . the only way it's usable is with the bass totally off and then the top end is totally unbearable. like I said maybe it's something with this unit but I've also owned a DSL40 and the DSL 20 and found them both unbearable. I did check the bias and changed preamp tubes with no change. Anybody own one?
 
I've had one, I had no issues, but it was the 100H, before HR. I know they're voiced somewhat different, and an added Master, but both Vietnamese. I still love the old-school UK versions.

I think they scooped out some mids and revoiced the red channel on the HR.
 
I’d take a fully loaded quickrod over a DSL100HR anyday. I’d use a DSL100HR in a pinch but there’s a slew of amps I’d choose over it given the opportunity.
 
The HR’s are different and not liked by most compared to the originals and 100H’s from everything I’ve seen, how they are different I’m not sure. The 40’s and 20’s are pretty highly regarded, if you found them unbearable maybe they just aren’t your thing
 
This is exactly why I laugh when someone says it's 'as good as any JCM 800' lol....No. No they aren't, unless they're modded.
Then I can believe it; or at least that they're comparable. But off the shelf, straight in?
Nah. I'd take many Marshalls over the DSL.
They get better IF you can crank them, but still fall short of a good 800.
 
Chris6870 said:
This amp sounds like shit. Every review online raves about How great this amp is. There's even one guy on YouTube who says he likes it better than his Friedman's and Bogner's. On the Marshall forum they are going on about how this is the greatest modern Marshall even better than the JVM I commented that I found it thin and had a mushy bottom end and I got roasted , called a noob and basically told I don't know what I'm doing. I'm far from a noob I bought my first J CM 800 brand new in 1987 I've had Many nice amps, including old Marshalls and know how to dial them in. Side by side through the same cabs my splawn quick rod destroys this DSL and it's not even close maybe there's something wrong with the particular one I have but the overdrive or distortion has no body. The bass totally flubs out with any type of low notes or Palm mutes . the only way it's usable is with the bass totally off and then the top end is totally unbearable. like I said maybe it's something with this unit but I've also owned a DSL40 and the DSL 20 and found them both unbearable. I did check the bias and changed preamp tubes with no change. Anybody own one?
Click to expand...


I don't get it either. The Vietnam DSL is 1/2 the amp the JCM 2K is, different transformes/pcb's/chassis/layout.
And they change it each year to less & less.
Even the handwired 2203X 800's have Vietnam transformers for $3500. Phuck no.

64c1f16419a2a8846d458a0fc27d6c18.png
 
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Racerxrated said:
This is exactly why I laugh when someone says it's 'as good as any JCM 800' lol....No. No they aren't, unless they're modded.
Then I can believe it; or at least that they're comparable. But off the shelf, straight in?
Nah. I'd take many Marshalls over the DSL.
They get better IF you can crank them, but still fall short of a good 800.
Click to expand...

If you have to crank the DSL to get it to sound good I just assume crank a JCM800.
 
I liked the JVM I had for a minute over the Dsl stuff. Way tighter straight in. Surprising
 
I played a DSL for a few minutes the other day at GC and wasn't horrible but just didn't have the Marshall tone I love, like my Silver Jubillee Mini.

I'm not a huge amp electronics nerd but I thought the DSL and JVM amps focus more on preamp gain. Is that true?
 
shar-vell Dan said:


I don't get it either. The Vietnam DSL is 1/2 the amp the JCM 2K is, different transformes/pcb's/chassis/layout.
And they change it each year to less & less.
Even the handwired 2203X 800's have Vietnam transformers for $3500. Phuck no.

64c1f16419a2a8846d458a0fc27d6c18.png
Click to expand...

Oh noez, my Jubilee is really just a Vietnamese tranny. :(
 
The new DSL is fine, but its nowhere near as good as the JCM2000 DSL, which in turn doesn't quite live up to an 800.

The JVM series is far superior to the new DSLs, of course - but for the money these marshalls costs, there are just better options out there.

If you really want the name for short cash, find a jcm2000 DSL - with a nice boost, they can sound quite good.
 
I used to have a 20HR, and I didn't like it. The bass was very thuddy rather then punchy. My biggest gripe, however, was the mids. It seemed like the mid knob had no sweet spot. Like it was centered around a weird frequency where boosting them made the amp sound super stuffy or scooping them made the amp feel like it was in a different room. But I always assumed it's me just not getting along with Marshall tone stacks because many of them have been like that to varying degrees.
 
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